Packing as a Plus Size Traveler

One thing that bothers me a lot is when people tell me that if I forget something I can always buy it there because that is not always true. As someone who is a size 22-24 that is not always possible. Growing up I did a lot of holidays and saw a lot of the world, mainly Asian countries and it was always hard to find a pair of pants that fit. With shirts and dresses I potentially could find one that would work but mainly, I would just focus on shoes (and even then at a size 8 that could be hard) and accessories because I knew I would find something that would fit. Pants though, that was hard and that was when I was a lot smaller then I am now. Knowing this, I have packed very differently from most people I know who go traveling. I pack heavy, no pun intended.

I am not 100% happy at my current size or weight, so I’m not going to lie to you and tell you otherwise. I get very insecure about my body sometimes and I have my good days and my bad days. So when I started to prep for my travels, I knew that I wanted to make sure I had enough pants that would get me through each country. I wanted a pair of pants that when I put on, I am like DAMN. And I think everyone should have that feeling when getting dressed and I think its important to have all the armour that you can when you are in a different country, navigating through a different language, customs and pushing yourself to try new things every day. So, don’t feel bad if you want to pack your bag to the brim with jeans, pants and clothes that make you feel good because sometimes the clothes you wear when you are traveling aren’t just clothes, they can be a layer of confidence that you need and who can blame you for wanting that.

Here is what I ended up bringing:

3 Skinny Blue Jeans

1 Skinny Black Jeans

1 Lily For Target Jumpsuit

3 Maxi Dresses

3 Harem Pants

1 Leggings

1 Workout Pants

A lot of socks… Like a lot.

12 Underwear

2 Sports Bras

2 Regular Bras

2 bandeau Bras

2 Tanks

2 Heavy Sweaters

4 T-shirts

1 workout shirt

1 Sleep shirt

1 rain jacket

1 Light jacket

2 swimsuits

1 cover-up

2 Lightweight Cardigans

3 Scarfs

4 T-shirts

2 Skirts

1 Tights

2 Spanx like Shorts

1 Workout Shoes

1 Vans

1 cheap Van knockoffs (to leave behind before going to the next country)

1 boots

1 fuzzy cloth slippers

What are some clothing dilemmas you face when traveling? Any countries you found to be plus-size friendly or what is a must bring no matter where you go?

2 thoughts on “Packing as a Plus Size Traveler”

I lost some weight on our last long trip (all that walking around!) and we still had three months to go so I absolutely needed a new pair of pants that weren’t falling down. But we were in the Phillipines and I guess everyone there was a size 4. I wound up having to buy pants from the men’s department. I threw those pants away the day I got home and resolved that from here on out, travel pants will be elastic and stretchy to accommodate a 5-10 pound weight loss or gain. The only hard part is finding pants with pockets… girls need pockets too, not just men! Why do so many girls pants not have pockets!

It’s just hard to feel confident to try and do new things when you aren’t happy with what you’re wearing! I relate with at times having to buy stuff from the mens department… AND PREACH ABOUT POCKETS. Luckily most Harem pants have great pockets. I recommend them as a must for travel!